That chuck roast or sirloin tip roast that is staring at you in your deep freezer from the beef share you just bought, this will help you.
Although my favorite method is the smoked chuck roast, sometimes we don't have the time to commit to managing a smoker or even the desire. This recipe is a classic you set before you leave for work and arrive home with a complete meal.
There are a lot of things we have learned in our short time owning a little farm. Some are dramatic (cows trying to leap fences) while some are so subtle and so simple and yet provide tremendous joy.
One such item is lard.
I have made “American-style” bacon, pastrami, guanciale, corned beef, jerky, and a few other items that now fill our freezer. In most cases I have found that you can definitely save money by doing it yourself, but it certainly takes time and effort.
Now that you have your own pork belly, we should talk about one of my absolute favorites, pancetta.
I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage with my books, my family and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splendid post, which any human power can give. -Thomas Jefferson
I have purchased all kinds of bacon over the years. From the thin, slimy stuff, to thick-cut, “artisanal” bacon, and now my very own.
These are fancy cattle with good carcass genetics from registered Angus cows, bred by the top Angus and Wagyu bulls available, animals that we have raised with care and kindness. Pigs too.
Let’s assume an average sized 20 to 24-month-old animal weighs approximately 1,200-1400 lbs.; that weight is called the “live weight.” Once the animal is slaughtered, the skin, head, non-usable organs, and hooves are removed, and the carcass is split down the middle. This part of the process is done at the farm.
